Forever and Ever and Ever
by La miseria y la muerte
Summary: Jenny gets engaged to a new robot student at school, Raul-17. Then she learns that he's a prince. Now Jenny gets to live out a sort-of fairy tale, or is it a nightmare?
1. Default Chapter

I was on my way to school when it happened. That life-changing event I'll never forget. That one day in April.  
  
I thought it would be just another Monday, but it wasn't. Something happened during school that would be the beginning of the rest of my life. It started with six words.  
  
"Class," The teacher said, "We have a new student."  
  
"Borrring." Brad, my best friend, said, "Why can't something exciting happen?" Brad craved adventure.  
  
I was never bored with the daily routines. I had excitement all day long saving the Earth. A little calmness would be good.  
  
"Please welcome our new student, Raul-17." She said.  
  
Raul-17? Wait a minute, I thought.  
  
A robot kid, my height, stepped in.  
  
"Hello class." He said, "It's a plesure to meet you all."  
  
"Raul, please tell the class where you're from." The teacher instructed.  
  
"I'm from the U.K., my parents have sent me here to learn about your culture."  
  
"Thank you, please be seated."  
  
He sat down several rows ahead of me.  
  
***  
  
After possibly the longest social studies lecture ever, the bell rang for lunch. Being a robot who doesn't eat, lunch still meant very much to me. Especially when Raul came.  
  
"Jenny," He asked, "Can I talk to you?"  
  
"Sure." I said.  
  
"Jenny, I'm not from the U.K."  
  
"You're not?" I asked him.  
  
"No, I'm from an all-robot planet."  
  
"Then why are you here?"  
  
"My parents sent me here to search for an eligible young lady to be my wife. Jenny, will you marry me?"  
  
My eyes nearly burst out of my head. "Raul...I...we...just met...this is so sudden..."  
  
"Jenny, I've traveled dozens of planets, hundreds of countries, mom recommended me this place, and now I found you! The lady of my dreams! Please, marry me Jenny."  
  
"Yes Raul!" I screamed and cried, "I'll marry you."  
  
We embraced into a deep deep kiss.  
  
***  
  
"Where are we going?" I asked, as I held to Raul. He had blindfolded me.  
  
"You're going to meet my dad." He said, "Mom's so busy with the politics, you won't be able to meet her for a long time."  
  
"Okay." I said, a little uneasy.  
  
We landed inside a palace. Nearly all of it was made of gold. There were statues, chandeliers, silk curtains and the floor was a beautiful beige marble. Just for robots to walk on! In the front of the room, a golden throne sat above many steps.  
  
"Jenny," Raul introduced me, "This is my father." He pointed to the throne.  
  
The male robot in the throne stepped up and looked at me.  
  
"Your highness." I curtsied. "It's a pleasure to meet you."  
  
He walked down and looked at me from head to toe.  
  
"I am King PX5." He asked me, "Do you fly?"  
  
"Yes, sir." I flew up and hovered for a minute.  
  
"For what purpose were you built?"  
  
"To save people." I flew down.  
  
"How old are you?"  
  
"Five."  
  
He nodded. "You have made an excellent choice." He whispered to Raul.  
  
I smiled.  
  
"The wedding will be held here." The king declared.  
  
"Yeah!" I gave Raul a hug.  
  
"We will be together forever Jenny!" He kissed me.  
  
***  
  
The first thing I did was fly down to Earth to tell mom.  
  
"Mom! Mom!!" I screamed.  
  
"What is it honey?" She ran into the room.  
  
"Mom! I'm getting married!"  
  
"Married? Already, dear?"  
  
"Yes, to this wonderful boy, Raul-17!"  
  
"Honey, you're still in High School, and you're going to get married!"  
  
"Yes, isn't it wonderful?" I swooned.  
  
"Absolutely not!" She said.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You still have a lot of your life ahead of you. Now, most times I know I give in, but this time I am putting my foot down! You cannot marry this boy, NO NO AND NO!" She ordered.  
  
"But Mom! I already spoke to his father, and he likes me! He wants to hold our wedding at his palace and he'll pay for everything, and Raul is so nice and splendid and-"  
  
"When did you meet this boy?"  
  
"Just today."  
  
"And when did you meet his father?"  
  
"Today."  
  
"And at what sort of palace is this?"  
  
"His palace, it's gigantic and fancy and-"  
  
"His very own palace?"  
  
"Yes, he's a king!"  
  
"A king?"  
  
"Yes, king of a planet! An all-robot planet!"  
  
"Where will you live?"  
  
"I don't know, but we love each other."  
  
"How do you know, you've only known him for a day."  
  
"Please mom, I promise that you can come to the reception and there will be free shrimp!"  
  
"Well, I do love shrimp."  
  
"Then it's okay?"  
  
"I suppose I can't stop you."  
  
"Yippee!" I shouted.  
  
***  
  
"You're what?!" Brad said.  
  
"I'm getting married!" I swooned.  
  
"Married? Why?"  
  
"Because I'm in love!" I said.  
  
"With who?"  
  
"Raul-17."  
  
"That new kid from the U.K.? He's more unpopular than Sheldon!"  
  
"Brad, I don't care. Besides, he's a prince."  
  
"Oh please, Jenny! That kid's totally weird, he's not gonna sweep off your feet like you're Cinderella or something."  
  
"No Brad, he's literally a prince!"  
  
"You mean his dad's a-"  
  
"King? Yes, and I met his dad yesterday. He wants to host the wedding at his palace! We're gonna happily ever after!"  
  
Brit and Tiff walked up to me.  
  
"We heard the big news." Brit said.  
  
"About my engagement?" I asked.  
  
"Engagement?" Tiff said, "We heard you were quiting school."  
  
"Well, today might be my last day here, but I'll be going to a different school. An all-robot school."  
  
"They make those?" Tiff asked. "Gross!"  
  
"Me and Raul are gonna be so happy!" I swooned.  
  
"Back up Jen!" Brad said, "You're transfering out of Tremerton!"  
  
"Yeah. Raul thinks I can get a better education at 10001110101001 High School on his planet."  
  
"He has his own planet?" Tiff said.  
  
"Yes, he's the prince!" I blurted.  
  
"Prince!" Brit and Tiff yelled.  
  
"No way!" Brit said, "You're lying through your tin teeth!"  
  
"No I'm not. I'm going to get out of here! I'm gonna get married to Raul-17."  
  
"Jen, you're crazy." Brad said.  
  
"Maybe." I said, "Just maybe."  
  
***  
  
So, how'd you like chapter number one? I really like how this story is going, this is one of the very few times that I am ever really satisfied with my writings. I just haven't been trying hard enough lately :( Oh well 


	2. Wedding Plans

My last day of going to a human High School should have been easy, but it wasn't. For some reason, when you're engaged, people start taking an interest in you.  
  
"I heard that you're going to get married." Jantrice said.  
  
"Yes. Me and Raul-17 are gonna 'tie the knot' sometime." I said.  
  
"That is so totally romantic." She told me.  
  
"It's not a big deal." But everyone knew it was.  
  
"Jenny!! JENNY!" Sheldon shouted.  
  
"Sheldon, I'm having a conversation with Jantrice." I nearly yelled at him.  
  
"It's not true! Say it's not true, Jenny! Say it!!"  
  
"Say what's not true?" I asked him.  
  
"That you're getting married! You can't get married, Jenny! You just can't!!!!"  
  
"Sheldon, I'm engaged, okay." I tried to back him off me.  
  
"But Jenny, I love you!" He pleaded.  
  
"No you don't, you'd rather have someone else."  
  
"No I wouldn't! I'd rather have you!"  
  
"Listen, we both know this wouldn't work. Stop trying to fool yourself, Sheldon." I said, "You can come to the reception if it makes you feel better."  
  
He sniffled. "No, that would break my heart." He said as he slouched away.  
  
"Is he gonna be okay?" Jantrice asked me.  
  
"I don't know." I shook my head. "I just don't know."  
  
***  
  
I flew to Raul's planet to help plan the wedding.  
  
"Jenny! You're here!" He grabbed my hand and brought me over to another robot. "This is Jean Pierre, he'll be designing your dress and such. I'll get out of the way." He left the room.  
  
"Hello madame XJ9." He said.  
  
I giggled. "Hello Jean Pierre."  
  
"Well, first off, we need to do something with the color. Blue is not for weddings."  
  
"That sounds reasonable."  
  
He gave me a book. "Look through there. Raul said that he suggested an off-white or silver."  
  
"Raul's so smart. He's right about that. Definitely silver." I flipped through the different shades.  
  
The designer kept trying out flower types and patterns for my veil.  
  
"Oh, there!" I said, pointing to a silver design, "That's beautiful!"  
  
He looked at it. "Yes, perfect for royalty."  
  
I laughed. "Well, I'm not royalty."  
  
"But you will be."  
  
"Come again?"  
  
"You'll be princess of this whole planet. Princesses never get second best."  
  
I giggled. "I don't need much."  
  
"It's not what you need, it's what you want."  
  
I laughed uneasily. "I'm definitely getting this silver. Oh, and could you get this baby blue for my hair?"  
  
"Of course I can." He said, "It will be here next week."  
  
"That quickly?"  
  
"Rush delivery. Princesses get rush delivery."  
  
I laughed again. "Don't be silly."  
  
"I'm not."  
  
***  
  
I showed Raul my plans for the dress. "What do you think?" I asked him.  
  
"It's lovely." He said, "I saw a set of bouquets that match it perfectly. Oh, by the way, who do you want to have for bridesmaids?"  
  
"Oh, gee, I don't know."  
  
"Do you have any sisters?"  
  
"Um, yes."  
  
"How many?"  
  
"Eight."  
  
"Eight!"  
  
"He he." I laughed.  
  
"Oh well, the more the merrier." He shrugged.  
  
"XJ1, XJ2 and XJ3 are probably too little to be bridesmaids."  
  
"Five bridesmaids then!" He said.  
  
"I made a list of guests I want to invite." I handed him my list. "They're all my friends, and my mom, and-"  
  
"Are these humans?" He asked.  
  
"Yeah. Most of them."  
  
"We can't have humans at our wedding."  
  
"Not even my mom?!"  
  
"Out of the question! Humans are an embarassment."  
  
"This planet isn't at peace with the human race?."  
  
"No. We just don't bother them, and they just don't bother us."  
  
"My mom's a scientist, and Brad would really like to be an usher, and Tuck is so little, he could be the ring bearer!"  
  
"No! They cannot come!"  
  
"Raul," I begged, "Please Please Please??"  
  
"Fine." He said, "Those three and that's it!"  
  
"Yeah! Thank you so much honey." I said.  
  
He rolled his eyes.  
  
"Just one more."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Sheldon."  
  
"Who's he?"  
  
"He's been in love with me for awhile. If you don't let him come, then he'll never see that we're serious."  
  
"Can't you just send him a wedding picture?"  
  
"We agreed that I could invite whatever friends I wanted to."  
  
"Hmph."  
  
"Is that a yes?"  
  
"Okay. Invite Sheldon."  
  
"Yippee!" I shouted. "This won't be a mistake, he probably won't even come."  
  
***  
  
I went down to the basement. The door was still there, unopened and unlocked. It squeaked as I opened it.  
  
I pulled the switch. "Wake up girls."  
  
***  
  
"These are your sisters?" Raul stared at them.  
  
"I know, aren't they great, sweetie?" I asked.  
  
"As long as you're happy." He walked up to XJ8. "Is she the oldest?"  
  
"No, silly, I'm the oldest, but she's the second oldest." I said.  
  
"Incorrect," XJ8 said, "I am the older sister."  
  
"Sure, whatever, XJ8," I said, "How would all of you like to be in a wedding?"  
  
"Me? In a wedding?" XJ7 said.  
  
"Sure, XJ7. After all, you're family."  
  
"XJ9!" Mom said.  
  
"Mom? How'd you get here?" I asked her.  
  
"I followed you with my jetpacks, but that's not the point!" She said harshly, "You reactivated your sisters again!"  
  
"But they have to be in the wedding!" I told her.  
  
"Young lady, we'll find someone else. They cannot stay." Mom said.  
  
"Please mom! They won't do anything stupid!" I said.  
  
XJ2 hiccuped and the laser shot the cord holding onto the chandelier. It immediately fell to the ground and broke into a thousand pieces.  
  
"My chandelier!" Raul exclaimed.  
  
"Oh! I'm so sorry sweetie pie!" I ran over. "This was priceless!"  
  
"Yes. I know." Raul stared at the broken pieces.  
  
"I feel so responsible." I told him.  
  
"No, it's not your fault that my mother's priceless chandelier made from pure crystal was broken. It's not your fault at all."  
  
"I'm so glad you feel that way!" I gave him a hug.  
  
"XJ9! We have to get your 'sisters' back home this instant!" Mom ordered.  
  
"Aw, come on, Mom," XJ5 said, "We need to stay for the wedding."  
  
"XJ5, I will not tolerate your loud mouth!" Mom said.  
  
"Please, mommy!" XJ4 begged. "I'll make sure they all behave."  
  
"Oh, you were always so responsible," Mom said to XJ4, "It's too bad your sister isn't more like you."  
  
"Ahem." I said.  
  
"I knew XJ4 was the favorite." XJ6 said to XJ7, "I knew it all along."  
  
"Young lady, I do not play favorites!" Mom said to XJ6 as she brushed dirt of XJ4's shoulder.  
  
"Can we focus?" I asked everyone.  
  
"Jenny, maybe we should do this later." Raul suggested.  
  
"But the whole families here." I said.  
  
"Yes, I know." He sighed.  
  
"Everyone!" I grabbed out a list. "Okay, XJ4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are bridesmaids. We decided that XJ3 could be the flower girl."  
  
XJ3 fell over trying to walk to Raul.  
  
"She can get a little clumsy." I explained.  
  
"I see." Raul said.  
  
"XJ1 and 2 are invited, but we don't really have a place in the wedding for them."  
  
"That's fine dear." Mom gave in, "They can just sit with me."  
  
"Thanks mom, you're the best!" I said, "Raul thinks that since Brad's my best friend he should be the best man. Raul has a cousin that he thinks should be the maid of honor. And Tuck is the ring bearer."  
  
"I can't believe I'm letting you put humans in our wedding." Raul said.  
  
"It'll be worth it." I kissed him.  
  
"What a show off." XJ6 muttered.  
  
***  
  
Oh boy. Two chapters already. What will happen in the next chapter?? What??!! I don't know, I didn't write it yet. 


	3. Holy Matrimony

"Are you sure I'm polished properly?" I asked Raul's cousin, RB12 or Rebecca.  
  
"You look fantastic, Jenny." She said.  
  
"Are you absolutely sure? I don't want to go out there looking like scrap metal? What'll Raul's mother think?!"  
  
"Just because it'll be the first time she ever sees you, doesn't mean you have to freak out, Jenny." Rebecca comforted me.  
  
"But I'm marrying her son. If she doesn't like me, I'll just be living in a nightmare forever!"  
  
"I'm sure she'll like you. I like you, and so does Raul."  
  
"I can't believe that in just a few minutes I'll be a princess."  
  
"Hello ladies." Brad walked in.  
  
I giggled. "What is it, Brad?"  
  
"Don't believe we've had a chance to meet." Brad said to Rebecca.  
  
"I'm RB12, but you can call me Rebecca."  
  
"An honor to meet you." Brad bowed to Rebecca.  
  
I rolled my eyes. "Stop messing around, Brad."  
  
"I can't help that I'm a gentleman." Brad said modestly.  
  
"Brad, your shoes are untied." Tuck said as he walked in.  
  
"Whoops." Brad laughed and bent down to tie his shoes.  
  
"There sure are a lot of robots here." Tuck said.  
  
"Of course there are, this is an all-robot planet." Rebecca said.  
  
"She's right Tuck, from now on I'm only living amongst robots." I said.  
  
"Hold it, you're moving?" Brad asked.  
  
"I'm gonna be princess of this planet. I can't live on Earth anymore." I explained.  
  
"So you won't be our neighbor anymore?" Tuck asked.  
  
"No, but I'll come and visit as much as I can. I'll write everyday, too, I promise." I said.  
  
"I'll write back, everyday, too." Tuck said.  
  
"Geeze Tuck, she won't be gone forever." Brad told him.  
  
"Umm..." I muttered.  
  
"No, you're kidding, Jen." Brad was in disbelief.  
  
"I'm afraid not. This is gonna be permanent."  
  
"We'll never see you again!" Brad said.  
  
"Sure you will. Like I said, I'll visit as much as I can. I promise."  
  
"I'm gonna miss you a lot." Brad said.  
  
"I'll miss you, too." I said.  
  
"You'll forget all about me, won't you?" Tuck said.  
  
"No, I'll never forget either of you, ever!" I promised.  
  
"Come on Tuck, let's go get ready." Brad dragged Tuck out.  
  
"But I want to stay and say goodbye to Jenny." Tuck said as he left.  
  
"Say goodbye?" I thought about it. "Gee, I never thought it would be like leaving."  
  
"Don't be ridiculous, Jenny!" Rebecca jumped in, "I'm sure things won't be any different."  
  
"How can you say that! I'll be on a different planet! Things are gonna change completely."  
  
"You're absolutely right. You're gonna go from rags to riches!" She said to me.  
  
"Rags? Is that what I have?"  
  
"You're middle class, and now you're going to be a princess! I can't think of better words to use."  
  
I thought about it. My life suddenly seemed like a fairy-tale. It had always been a nightmare being a teenage robot, but now were things changing. Were they changing for the better?  
  
There was a knock on the door. "Come in." I said.  
  
It was the minister. "Before the ceremony begins, XJ9, you need to sign the marriage license."  
  
"Technicalities." I murmured, then I grabbed his pen and signed it.  
  
"Thank you ma'am." The minister left.  
  
***  
  
XJ3 walked down the aisle in her new lavender color. She threw flower petals everywhere, and thanks to the new mechanic they had here, she didn't fall down even once.  
  
Next was Tuck. He grabbed the pillow with the ring on it and started walking down after XJ3. Robots don't have normal rings like people. Our wedding rings engrave the name of our spouse on our ring finger. After that we don't even use them. It was a surprise to me when I found this out. Humans cherish wedding rings for life. There are so many robot customs that I didn't know.  
  
All the bridesmaids and ushers walked down the aisle, lead by Rebecca. They all looked so beautiful under the sun shining through the glass ceiling and reflecting upon the crystal chandelier. It was so breathtaking, like something come out of a fairy tale. I felt like Cinderella for that solitary second.  
  
Brad linked my arm. "Ready?" He asked silently.  
  
I nodded and flipped the veil over my face. We walked down that aisle together. It was so peaceful and marvelous, words cannot begin to describe it. All eyes stared at us. There were no heads turned away. Straight ahead of me, I saw Raul, my future.  
  
I ascended the steps and stood face to face with Raul. I was so happy, and so nervous, and so...excited. I was estatic. Raul and me would be together, forever and ever and ever.  
  
He flipped the veil over to see my face. His eyes were filled with such emotion. An emotion, that I knew matched mine.  
  
"Dearly beloved," The minister started, "We are gathered here today to wed this couple, XJ9 and Raul-17."  
  
The rest of his words were a blur. He said many things about loyalty, trust and faith. Then it came to the point that he said, "Do you, Raul-17, take this woman, XJ9, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love to cherish and to be with til death do you part?"  
  
"I do." Raul said.  
  
"And do you, XJ9, take this man, Raul-17, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love to cherish and to be with, til death do you part?"  
  
I nearly shed tears, the joy got to me. "I do." I said.  
  
"I now pronounce you husband and wife." The minister said.  
  
Tuck handed us our rings, we slipped them on and before I knew it, Raul-17 was engraved upon my hand, and XJ9 upon his.  
  
"You may kiss the bride." The minister declared.  
  
We embraced and locked our lips together.  
  
"I love you." I said.  
  
"I love you too." He said.  
  
"How lovely." A voice I will never forget as long as I live said, "Such a beautiful wedding." The voice rang from the balcony where she was perched, then through the whole church.  
  
"Raul, what's she doing she doing here?" I asked him.  
  
"Jenny, that's my mother."  
  
I gasped.  
  
***  
  
End of chapter three.  
  
Cliffhanger. Hehe.  
  
Maybe you should check out my website www.geocities.com/xj9teenagerobot/index.html while you're waiting for the next chapter. Go ahead, just copy then paste. 


	4. Trapped

"Vexus!" I exclaimed, "Your mother is Vexus?!"  
  
"Jenny, please, not now." He said.  
  
"Then when? When do I get to find out who you really are?!" I said.  
  
"Please darling, let's not get hasty." Vexus said.  
  
"Hasty? You think I'm hasty?! I just found out that the person I've sworn a life against destroying is now my mother-in-law!" I said.  
  
"Oh, and you think I'm super happy that my mother-in-law is a human?!" Raul said.  
  
"Don't you talk about my mother that way!" I ordered.  
  
"Can't we discuss this later?" Raul suggested.  
  
"Fine. Let's go." I said, then we walked down the aisle again. This time, it wasn't so much like a fairy tale.  
  
***  
  
"Raul," I said to him in private, "I cannot be princess of the cluster. They enslave humans!"  
  
"I know, and you brought four of them here! What luck! They'll be like pets to us now." Raul said.  
  
"My friends are not going to be your pets." I told him.  
  
"Jenny, Jenny, Jenny." He shook his head. "You just have to learn that this way, everything is easier."  
  
"Easy? You think I want something easy? I want something right, something just! I'm not taking the easy answer."  
  
"But look at all the riches, all the treasure! Isn't this like a dream come true to you?!"  
  
"No!" I said, "This is a nightmare! I'm a cluster robot now, I can't be a cluster robot, I'm peaceful and funloving!"  
  
"You're royalty! A princess! What more could you wish for?"  
  
"Peace in the universe."  
  
He groaned. "You're very hard to deal with."  
  
Vexus walked in. "What's the trouble?"  
  
"I'm going back to Earth! If you love me, you'll come with me!" I said to Raul.  
  
"Don't be silly, you can't leave." Vexus said.  
  
"What do you mean?" I asked.  
  
"You signed the marriage license and it said that you'll stay here for five years." Vexus told me.  
  
"What? I didn't agree to that!" I argued.  
  
"Yes you did, you signed the papers! You're stuck here!" Vexus told me.  
  
"You can't stop me! I'll just fly away!" I said.  
  
"Perhaps you can fly away, but they can't." Vexus pointed to Brad, Tuck, Sheldon and mom, who were all grasped by huge guard robots.  
  
"Jenny, what's going on?" Brad asked.  
  
"Fly away, and one of them will pay!" Vexus said.  
  
"Oh no," I said, "Oh no."  
  
***  
  
I never thought I'd be miserable at my own wedding reception. But even as the music played and me and Raul danced to the first dance, worry and misery filled me.  
  
"Try not to think about it." Raul said.  
  
"My best friends and my mom are being held prisoner, and you want me to not think about it." I whispered back.  
  
"Don't think of it as inprisoning, think of it as..."  
  
"Confinment? Enclosing? Impounding?"  
  
"Yes, impounding, that's a good one!"  
  
"I want to leave, Raul."  
  
"But it's our wedding reception."  
  
"I mean I want to leave the cluster. It looks serene on the outside, but it's really just a cover for the cruel and unjust slavery within."  
  
"I've never thought of it like that. Make sure you tell mother, she'd love to print that on our next pamphlet."  
  
"What happened Raul? You were prince charming when I met you, and now you're...you're...a shallow creep!"  
  
"This is the way I was raised."  
  
"You were raised to be just like everyone else? Don't you ever want to break out and be original?"  
  
"Of course I do, but I'm a prince. I have to contain myself."  
  
"You don't have to do what your mother says." I told him, "You can do what you want!"  
  
"Listen Jenny, maybe your mom lets you off easy, but mine doesn't. I have to do what she says when she says it, and if I don't, she'll find out."  
  
I had never thought of Vexus that way. I had been a rival of hers for so long, but now I'm married to her son. I can see that she's ruined all sorts of lives. For the first time, I was glad that I had the mom I did.  
  
***  
  
We bid all our guests goodbye, but the parting was far from over.  
  
"Well," Vexus said, "Now that you're both here, we can make the decision."  
  
"What decision?" I asked.  
  
"I certainly can't keep all four of them, someone would be suspicious." Vexus told me, "I can only keep one to use as a hostage."  
  
"If you don't let all of them go," I started to fold out my laser arm, when Raul grabbed my hand-tight!  
  
"Raul, let go!" I told him.  
  
He just stared me down.  
  
"You bully! Get away from Jenny!" Sheldon screamed.  
  
"SHUT UP!" Vexus slapped Sheldon across the face.  
  
I gasped. Sheldon had a long scar over his cheek. It looked like a claw had teared through his skin.  
  
Vexus gave him an evil glare. "I hope that teaches you a lesson." She turned to me, "Alright now, my patience wears thin. You must pick one of them to stay here."  
  
"What?" I was in diselief. "How do you expect me to choose one of my friends over the other?!"  
  
"I said that my patience is wearing thin! Pick one of them, now!" She yelled at me.  
  
"Don't yell at her!" Sheldon told Vexus.  
  
"Sheldon, don't." I said.  
  
"She's being mean to you!" Sheldon argued back.  
  
"What an annoying little pest." Vexus ignored Sheldon. "I told you, pick one of them!"  
  
"I can't just choose one between my mother and my friend and my neighbors!"  
  
"Neighbor?" Brad said.  
  
"We'll talk." I said.  
  
"Pick one! I order you!" Vexus shouted.  
  
"I can't..." I stuttered.  
  
She stared at me, and then she pushed me down.  
  
"That's it!" Sheldon screamed, "No one hurts Jenny while I'm around!" Sheldon tried to wriggle loose from the robots grip.  
  
"Sheldon, these are seven foot robots, be reasonable." Mom said.  
  
"She hurt Jenny." Sheldon said.  
  
"I'm fine." I said.  
  
"Come here," He said, "Let me see you."  
  
I walked over to him.  
  
"What are you doing?" Vexus demanded.  
  
He felt my pigtail. "It's dented. I'll fix that." He bent it back into place.  
  
Vexus pushed her way through. She eyed my pigtail. "Look at that." She grabbed it and examined it. "No dents, scratches, nothing."  
  
"Hey, that's my head!"  
  
"It's perfect, good as new!" She discarded me. "You!" She pointed at Sheldon. "You're staying here and you will fix whatever I tell you to fix."  
  
"I won't do anything for you." Sheldon refused.  
  
She sneered. "If I wanted you to stand on your head or juggle you would! Understand?" She turned to her guards, "Let that boy loose and take the rest of them home."  
  
"Bye Jenny!" Brad and Tuck shouted as they were flown away.  
  
I just stood there and waved. The world was turning faster than I was used to.  
  
Vexus looked over Sheldon. "Hmm, looks like a smart boy." She lifted his chin. "Such pale skin, well it won't be getting any tanner where you're going."  
  
"Don't you hurt a hair on his head!" I told Vexus.  
  
She laughed at me, and I felt powerless.  
  
***  
  
It was hours later before I saw Vexus again.  
  
"Where is he?" I demanded.  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Sheldon! Sheldon Lee! Where is he?!" I asked her again.  
  
"Oh, you mean that pesky little boy?"  
  
"He's not pesky, he's a genius!"  
  
"Sure he is." She said sarcasticly, "That pile of flesh is in the prison room fixing up some spare parts."  
  
"Where is the prison room?"  
  
"Do you honestly want to see him?"  
  
"Yes!" I screamed.  
  
"Go downstairs, take the first detour and it'll be the third door to the right."  
  
"Thank you." I rushed downstairs and flew to Sheldon's room.  
  
"Sheldon?" I knocked.  
  
He came to the door and grabbed the bars. "Oh, Jenny, it's you! Hi." He said.  
  
"Are you alright?" I asked him.  
  
"I'm fine, just fixing a few arms, a couple pairs of legs and an eye here and there."  
  
"We have to get you out of here!" I said.  
  
"Really Jenny, I'll be fine. As long as I fix these right, I'll be outta here in five years just like you."  
  
"But Sheldon, you don't understand. I'll be a teenager forever, you only get these years once! By the time you're out of here, you'll be 21!"  
  
"Come again?"  
  
"I'm saying that you're going to miss everything! Getting your driver's license, going to prom, graduating high school, these are the best years of your life! Vexus can't keep this from you."  
  
"Well, she is, so I might as well make the best of it."  
  
"I can't believe this. You really could have done something with your life."  
  
"Oh, I'm just another comic book geek." He said modestly.  
  
"You're way more than that. You're a genius!"  
  
"I am?"  
  
"Yes! You could have been the next Edison, or Socrates, or Einstein! You could have changed the world!"  
  
"Well, maybe we can change this world."  
  
"Maybe." I held his hand and cried.  
  
I felt a shock in my hands. "Ouch!" I cried, "What was that?"  
  
"I should have warned you," Sheldon said, "Vexus put in a barrier that will cause all robots in the room pain. It's harmless to humans, however."  
  
"I suppose that means there's no chance of busting you out." I said.  
  
"Not unless you have the key."  
  
"What key?" I asked.  
  
"This key." Vexus held up her key to Sheldon's cell. "It turns off the painful barrier."  
  
She unlocked Sheldon's room. "Did you fix anything yet?"  
  
"It's all done." Sheldon said.  
  
Vexus grabbed a spare robot arm. "This bends the wrong way! How am I supposed to supply battle robots with spare arms that bend the wrong way?!" She screamed at Sheldon.  
  
"I'm sorry! I can fix that, just ten minutes." Sheldon pleaded.  
  
Vexus tossed the arm to the back. "No food for you today! If it isn't properly repaired by tomorrow morning, no food then either." She locked the room, then started to walk away.  
  
"Hey! You can't do that to him!" I said.  
  
"I can do whatever I want!" Vexus told me.  
  
"He just made one little mistake! He tried his best!"  
  
"I'm not looking for his best! I'm looking for the highest quality robotic parts that ever existed!"  
  
"But if you don't feed him, he'll die!"  
  
"Then so be it." She left.  
  
I looked at Sheldon as hovered over that robot arm. His stomach growled loudly. I could tell he wouldn't last long without food.  
  
*** 


	5. I'm just out to find the better part of ...

Brad sat in his room tossing a baseball at the wall and then catching it as it bounced back. Tuck layed on Brad's bed.  
  
"Brad," Tuck said, "We've gotta help Jenny."  
  
"She'll be fine."  
  
"No she won't."  
  
"How do you know?" Brad asked.  
  
"Well, Jenny's my friend, and friends help each other!"  
  
"Listen Tuck, Jenny's my friend too, but why should I risk life and limb to help her, when she can do it by herself?"  
  
"You wanted adventure, didn't you?" Tuck asked.  
  
"That's different. I want to have a little fun, but I don't want to risk my life."  
  
"Well you know what Brad, you only get one, so make the most of it. I'm going over to Mrs. Wakeman's." Tuck left.  
  
"Aw man! If he dies I am so grounded!" Brad chased after Tuck.  
  
Tuck rang Mrs. Wakeman's doorbell.  
  
"Come in!" She called from inside.  
  
"Mrs. Wakeman!" Tuck shouted as he and Brad walked inside, "It's us, your next-door neighbors."  
  
Mrs. Wakeman was in the living room talking to Jenny from a monitor. "How's it going, sweetie?"  
  
"Pretty good. I just found out that Sheldon's in some pretty serious danger, but I try and keep faith."  
  
"That's good." Jenny's mother turned around to see Brad and Tuck in her living room.  
  
"Jenny!" Tuck shouted, "Remember me?!"  
  
Jenny laughed. "Of course I remember you, silly."  
  
"Are you doing okay, Jen?" Brad asked.  
  
"I'm fine. A little angry, but fine." Jenny asked, "How has the Earth been without me?"  
  
"I've been running XJ8 out to save the world, but, well, if she had been that efficient, I wouldn't even have built an XJ9."  
  
"I get what you're saying." Jenny said. Vexus' voice could be heard in the background. "Gotta go! My mother-in-law's coming!" Jenny turned off the monitor.  
  
"It's such a pity to lose her." Mrs. Wakeman said, "So, what are you two doing here?"  
  
"Well, we want to rescue Jenny!" Tuck tried to sound heroic.  
  
"Resuce Jenny? You two? That's ridiculous!" Mrs. Wakeman said.  
  
"Told you it was a stupid idea." Brad said.  
  
"Well, if wanting to save someone's life is stupid, then I guess I'm just walking breathing stupid!" Tuck said.  
  
"Tell me about it." Brad rolled his eyes.  
  
"You're twelve," Mrs. Wakeman pointed to Tuck "And you're fifteen," She pointed to Brad "What could you two possibly do to help XJ9? You're only human."  
  
"Yeah Tuck, give it a break," Brad said, "Jenny'll be back in five years, you can see her then."  
  
"Five years?! Do you realize how long that is?" Tuck said, "In five years," He pointed to Mrs. Wakeman, "You could be dead!" He pointed to Brad "You could have a mustache! And I could have my driver's license! Five years is too long for all of us, and for Jenny!"  
  
Mrs. Wakeman grabbed a picture of Jenny off her coffee table. "Oh, poor XJ9. You really need this." She turned to Tuck, "Come to the basement, you'll need some help."  
  
***  
  
I looked at Raul. He just sat there and never did much of anything. This life, was, well, almost boring! "Raul," I said.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Why didn't you tell me that you were the prince of the cluster before I married you?"  
  
"I told you I was the prince of an all-robot planet."  
  
"But you never said the cluster!"  
  
"I didn't think it mattered."  
  
"Didn't think it mattered?! I've been against this planet for years, and now I'm married to it. I'm just adding onto human slavery, and there's nothing I can do!"  
  
"Well, welcome to my life!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I was born onto this place! Do you really think that I wanted to be the guy that would grow up and rule over an unjust and enslaving planet?! Do you really think I wanted human slavery? I love humans! If I could I would be one."  
  
"You could get away from all this."  
  
"No, I can't. I'm stuck here, just as you are. The only difference is that you get to leave in five years."  
  
"Just tell Vexus how you feel."  
  
"Jenny, what does your mother do when you suggest something new?"  
  
"Tells me I'm wrong."  
  
"They're all the same."  
  
"Raul, we should leave! We should break out all the humans and leave! We could live on Earth together!"  
  
"I've had so many fantasies about moving to Earth, but have you ever seen a prince move out of the land he was born in? I have to stay."  
  
I never thought about Raul the same way again.  
  
***  
  
A dangling light bulb clicked on and then the sound of six feet tapping down the steps could be heard.  
  
"What are we looking for?" Tuck asked.  
  
"It's in the back." Mrs. Wakeman said.  
  
"This place is creepy." Brad stared around at all the robotics and mechanics and electronics.  
  
"A ha!" Mrs. Wakeman grabbed a large box and pulled it out.  
  
"It's huge!" Tuck was impressed, "What's inside?"  
  
Mrs. Wakeman lifted open the lid of the large trunk. "I kept this in case of an emergency."  
  
"Well would you look at the time!" Brad started to slide away.  
  
"Oh, don't be a baby!" Tuck said.  
  
"Hold it! I'm the older brother here!" Brad said.  
  
"Would you two be quiet?" Mrs. Wakeman said, "Ugh! It's like XJ5 all over again! Here this is too assist you," She pulled out two jet packs.  
  
"Jet packs!" Tuck screamed and grabbed his.  
  
"Again?" Brad grabbed the other one.  
  
"And these." Mrs. Wakeman handed them air helmets, "It's about 5000 miles from the cluster to Earth, you should have enough oxygen to keep yourselves alive on the trip."  
  
She searched within the box for a few minutes.  
  
"Is something missing?" Tuck asked.  
  
"No, it's just that, I never built muck for humans. This is all for robots. Oh, here we go." She took out two lasers. "Strap them onto your wrists, then press the button to activate them."  
  
Tuck strapped his on. "Look at world, Johnny Zoom is here to save the day!"  
  
"Oh man, this stuff is intense." Brad put his on.  
  
"Now here's something useful!" She pulled out two pairs of goggles.  
  
"Um, we're not going snorkeling Mrs. Wakeman." Tuck said.  
  
"Oh no, these are for detecting robotic lifeforms. Just put them on, and you can see through walls, wood, anything, and it'll only pick up the robotic life."  
  
Tuck put a pair on. "Ahh!!" He screamed, "I can't see anything!" He ran into the wall.  
  
"We are so dead." Brad moaned.  
  
"I suppose I only have one of these." She grabbed out a card-deck-sized black box with a red button on it.  
  
Brad took it and pressed the button. "What does it do?"  
  
"If you point it in the eyes of a robot and press the button it will stun them for exactly five minutes." Mrs. Wakeman explained. "My last item, is this," She put a black necklace around Tuck's neck.  
  
"A necklace?" Tuck said, "Mrs. Wakeman, I am 85 pounds of full-fledged man here, and-"  
  
She rolled her eyes. "If you press this blue button on the front, then you become invisible to everyone besides humans. I entered it in the eighth grade science fair, but no one believed me."  
  
"Then how do you know it works?" Tuck asked.  
  
"Hmm, I suppose I don't." Mrs. Wakeman admitted.  
  
"Well, I'm all about the risks on this one." Tuck said.  
  
"Here goes nothing." Brad said.   
  
"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Mrs. Wakeman pulled Brad to the side. "Listen, I think your brother is in over his head on this one."  
  
"Tell me about it." Brad said.  
  
"I packed these emergency items, just in case, but don't worry him, you two will probably make it back alive." Mrs. Wakeman said.  
  
"Probably?"  
  
"Well, it's about time you two go isn't it?" Mrs. Wakeman gave Brad the backpack.  
  
"Hurry up Brad!" Tuck shouted.  
  
"Ready when you are." Brad put on the backpack.  
  
They both grabbed all of their things, then they activated their jetpacks and were gone. 


	6. It's Not Easy to be me

Brad and Tuck soon arrived at the cluster. Brad immediately noticed how strong and brutual it looked.  
  
"You know Tuck, it's not too late to turn back." Brad said.  
  
"Don't get me wrong on this, I am afraid. I just think that if you're going to spend the rest of your life worrying about yourself, then you might as well not even be here."  
  
"But Tuck, she'll be back."  
  
"Sure she will, but God didn't put me here to think about what was best for me."  
  
"They enslave humans, Tuck. If you go in there and they catch you, you won't leave."  
  
"Then I guess I'll be enslaved." Tuck was about to fly toward the cluster when Brad grabbed him.  
  
"I don't think you understand, Tuck," Brad said, "This is serious! This is for real! If you go in there, you may never come out!"  
  
"I know, but I can't stop thinking that if it was me stuck in the cluster, would Jenny risk her life to save me?"  
  
Brad admitted, "Yes, I think she would."  
  
"I'm going to do the same for her, it's what friends are for." Tuck flew toward the cluster.  
  
"I just keep getting crazier and crazier." Brad followed Tuck.  
  
***  
  
"Can this be over?" I asked Vexus.  
  
"What?" Vexus said, "You don't enjoy watching the flesh-weares grobel before your feet."  
  
I looked down at the poor slaves who were wasting away as they polished my feet. "No, this is cruel."  
  
"Don't think about them, they're just humans. There's plenty more where they came from." Vexus said.  
  
I uncomfortably sat on my throne. I knew I was no longer part of the solution. I was part of the problem.  
  
"Your Majesty!" A guard robot screamed as he ran in.  
  
"What is it now?" Vexus said in an irritated tone.  
  
"We picked up signal of two humans approaching the palace." He reported.  
  
Vexus smiled cruelly. "Oh, wonderful! I've been looking for a few more personal polishers. What do we know about them?"  
  
"They are both male, one a small child estimated to be between the ages of ten and twelve, and the other at about age fifteen. They seem to be of relation to each other, most likely brothers." He said.  
  
I gasped. Please, don't be Brad and Tuck. Please say it's not them.  
  
"Tell the others that the first to capture them receives a reward!" Vexus ordered. "Go now!"  
  
"Yes your majesty." the guard ran off to tell the other guards about the reward offered.  
  
Vexus smiled at me. "Now you'll see what fun we really have at the cluster.  
  
Please be okay, I prayed.  
  
***  
  
Brad looked at the palace. There were so many robots standing guard, big fierce robots. It didn't seem likely that they would be entering that palace unless they became slaves eternally.  
  
Tuck was still determined, however. He flew right into the cluster with such strength and will. Most twleve year-olds don't act that determined-ever.  
  
"Tuck! You're gonna get yourself killed!" Brad shouted.  
  
"Well, I would've gotten myself someday, anyway, so it might as well be today!" Tuck screamed back.  
  
"Tuck, we're going home!" Brad ordered.  
  
"Brad, I'm the little brother here, and we're both just as afraid, but I'm the one facing my fears. So I guess that must make you the little brother."  
  
"Who are you calling little brother?" Brad said and went along with Tuck.  
  
"HUMANS AT ONE O'CLOCK!" a robot guard shouted to the others.  
  
"First to capture them gets a personal reward from Queen Vexus!" the head robot guard said.  
  
"Get them!"  
  
Several robots charged at Brad and Tuck.  
  
"C'mon, Wakeman," Brad searched through the backpack, "I need something." Brad pulled out his stun ray. He closed his eyes and pressed the button.  
  
There was suddenly silence. Brad opened his eyes wincingly. All the robots had stopped dead in their tracks.  
  
"Hurry up Tuck! We only have five minutes!" Brad flew into the palace despite his fear. Tuck followed him closely.  
  
"Brad! Tuck!" I screamed, fearing their safety.  
  
"Jenny!" Brad flew down and dropped his backpack. "Oh, I'm so glad that you're ok!"  
  
"Jenny! We're here to save you!" Tuck said.  
  
"You two have to get out of here! This is too dangerous!" I warned them.  
  
"There they are! Get them!" Vexus screamed to another army of robot guards.  
  
Brad pulled out his stun ray. "Close your eyes Jenny."  
  
"Why?" I asked.  
  
"Just do it!" He said.  
  
I put my hands over my eyes. When I took them off, all the robots had miraculously stopped. "What did you do?" I asked.  
  
"Never mind, we only have five minutes!" Brad grabbed my hand and was about to take off with me.  
  
"We have to save Sheldon!" I said.  
  
"Forget about him." Brad said.  
  
"No one is getting left behind!" I ran toward the dungeon and Brad followed me.  
  
I found Sheldon's room. "Sheldon, we're getting out of here!" I said.  
  
"Jenny!" He saw me and Brad. "You two just save yourselves, don't worry about me!"  
  
"No!" I fiddled with the lock.  
  
Brad rummaged through his backpack and pulled out a small drill-looking thing. He pressed it into the lock, but he didn't get the time to turn it on.  
  
"Step away from that cell!" Vexus ordered.  
  
"It must've worn off." Brad grabbed the stun ray and was about to press it when it slipped out of his hands.  
  
Vexus stepped on it, breaking it into a thousand seperate pieces. "Well, that's enough of that." She said, "Now get away from that cell!"  
  
"Or what?" I asked.  
  
Vexus held Tuck in front of her, his hands were chained together. "Use your imagination." She said.  
  
"Tuck!" I screamed.  
  
"Now get away from that cell!" She ordered.  
  
Brad and I backed away from Sheldon.  
  
Vexus set Tuck on the ground. "Listen to me, both of you." She said, "XJ9, I want you to go back up to the throne room and never speak of this moment again."  
  
I nearly cried as I got my last look at Brad, Sheldon and Tuck, then I started climbing those steps.  
  
"Open a cell for this red haired one." Vexus said. "He seems like a semi-obedient human, and I've been looking for another polisher."  
  
Brad scowled.  
  
Just as I was appproaching those last steps, I saw Tuck wink at me. Then I didn't see him anymore.  
  
The invisible Tuck ran towards Brad's backpack, pulled out a small chain saw looking thing and turned back to visible mode as he held it towards Vexus's head. "Nobody moves, or Vexus gets it!" Tuck turned the tables.  
  
"What an insolent wench." Vexus reached behind her and tried to grab Tuck, but he started whiring that chainsaw and then she didn't move.  
  
"Listen everyone!" Tuck said, "Brad, let Sheldon out."  
  
Brad grabbed his drill and unlocked Sheldon's room. I smiled. It looked like everything would be alright. At least for a minute it did.  
  
Vexus then popped out some spikes on her shoulders. One of them slashed across Tuck's stomach as I watched in horror.  
  
"Tuck!" I screamed and went to fly down but guards held me back. I could have torn away from three or four, maybe even five of them, but there were more than twenty holding me back. I was a princess, yet a prisoner.  
  
Tuck layed on the ground, a pool of blood forming around him. I cried. I saw how much pain he was in, and he had done it all for me.  
  
Brad kneeled down by Tuck. "Oh no..." Brad stared blankly at him. "Tuck...I can't believe it..." Brad then looked up and saw Vexus. He was angrier than words could begin to describe. "You!" He shouted and pulled out a laser from his backpack. "You hurt Tuck!" He fired at Vexus and hit her on her chest.  
  
"Augh!" Vexus shouted in pain, "How dare you!"  
  
She lunged towards Brad and wrapped her hands around his throat.  
  
"NO!" I shouted and it is beyond my knowledge how I went from twenty some guards holding me back to hitting Vexus straight to the ground. I just felt a need to risk my life to protect those who had done the same for me.  
  
"If you," I warned, "Lay one more hand on any of them!" I shouted at her, "I will risk life and limb to get you back for it!" I backed her into a corner.  
  
She looked at me solemnly. "You are a strong one, XJ9." She said, "You certainly have a compassion at that."  
  
"Don't tell me what I am." I ordered her.  
  
"Listen to me XJ9." She said, "I know that you are independant, and I know that you have a strong will of your own. But now you must do as I say. For I am your mother now!"  
  
"No!" I screamed, "You are not my mother!" I hit her upside the head with my Thor's Hammer. "My mother is a kind old woman sitting at home by herself on Earth! NOT YOU!" As she was hit I flew to her and pushed her to the ground. I held her down by the shoulders.  
  
I leaned closer toward her face. "Listen, Vexus." I said, "You are now going to let me and my friends go."  
  
"Why would I-"  
  
"NOW!" I shouted.  
  
Vexus struggled to get herself up, but it was of no use. "Get them an esacpe pod to Earth." She told her guards, whom obeyed instantly.  
  
"C'mon, Tuck, Brad, Sheldon." I said, "We're going home."  
  
Brad leaned down and picked up Tuck like a small baby. Then they all followed me into the escape pod on the other side of the palace. The last robot I saw before I left was Raul.  
  
"Jenny, where are you going?" He asked.  
  
"I'm going home." I said, "I can't take another minute of this."  
  
"But, you're my wife." He pleaded, "Til death do us part."  
  
"Raul, I have to leave." I said, "I can't stand this place and it just kills me on the inside. I can't stay here, though." I cried.  
  
He just stood there and watched as I pressed the button that took me away.  
  
***  
  
I just sat there and stared at my hand that had Raul-17 carved into it.  
  
"Cheer up, Jen." Brad said as he looked at Tuck's wound. "There'll be other guys."  
  
"Who wants to be with a stupid married robot girl like me?"  
  
"I do." Sheldon said. I ignored him.  
  
Brad ripped off part of the sleeve of his shirt to place on Tuck's wound.  
  
"Brad, what are you doing?" I asked him, "You just ruined that shirt."  
  
"Oh, I can get other shirts, but Tuck's my only brother."  
  
I looked at Tuck. All the life near sucked out of him, and yet, he was still much stronger than I was. If Tuck didn't make it, I would never have forgiven myself.  
  
***  
  
We landed a few hours later on my front driveway.  
  
"Mom!" I shouted as she walked out.  
  
"XJ9, you're home!" She was in awe.  
  
"No time! Tuck's hurt!" I said.  
  
Brad carried Tuck out of the pod. The blood was still flowing from his wound.  
  
"Oh my goodness." Mom grabbed him and brought him inside with me, Brad and Sheldon following.  
  
Mom set him down on the table. First she checked for his pulse and then for his breath. The next thing she did was call 911.  
  
I just sat there crying with Sheldon and Brad trying to cheer me up, but deep down, we were all just as afraid.  
  
***  
  
Okay...yeah, that'll do it. End of chapter 6! Stay tuned for chapter 7! Maybe, I dunno, I don't think anyone is reading this. 


	7. A Happy Ending

Mom ended up taking care of Tuck before the ambulance came. She wrapped guaze around it and added bacterial repelant to Tuck's wound. She checked his pulse and breath rate also.  
  
"He's breathing, he just seems to be knocked out." She reported.  
  
"Is he going to be okay?" I asked mom.  
  
"We'll see." She said.  
  
The ambulance arrived and Tuck took with them. Brad tried to board the ambulance but they told him to leave.  
  
"You'll just get in the way." A paramedic told him.  
  
"That's my only brother!" Brad argued, "I have to go with him."  
  
"It's okay, Brad," I grabbed his shoulders to hold him back, "We can visit him later."  
  
"Jenny, that's my brother!" Brad said, "If Tuck dies then I just can't get another one! If he's going to leave, I'm going to be right there watching him."  
  
For the first time in my life, I really saw an emotional side of Brad. Most of the time he was just goofy, fun-loving Brad, but I guess funny people have real feelings too. He and Tuck had been together all of their lives. I didn't know what that kind of relationship was like. They just watched out for each other constantly and were real friends. I let Brad go.  
  
They didn't want to waste any time, so Brad went along with them. Then they both were gone to the hospital and it was just mom, me and Sheldon. I cried at the thought of losing Tuck.  
  
"Cheer up, Jenny." Sheldon said.  
  
"I can't cheer up." I said, "Tuck's going to die because he wanted to save me."  
  
"He saved me too," Sheldon said, "But you just have to remember that sometimes all you can do is have faith."  
  
I sat there and cried for my guardian angel whom had lived next door to me all my life.  
  
***  
  
"You can come in." The nurse said after Brad and I had spent countless hours waiting outside of Tuck's hospital room door.  
  
We slowly walked in. "Tuck?" I said.  
  
His eyes flittered open. "Jenny." he said as a statement, not a question.  
  
My eyes filled with tears. Brad grabbed Tuck's hand. "Tuck, are you alright?" Brad asked.  
  
Tuck looked at me. "Jenny," he said again.  
  
The tears streamed down my face.  
  
"Jenny, I'm sorry." Tuck said.  
  
I shook my head. "Don't be."  
  
"I'm sorry," he said, "that I didn't save you. I wanted to be a hero, like you."  
  
I shook my head again. "Don't say that. You're my hero, Tuck. You're my hero."  
  
"I just kept thinking," Tuck said, "about the time when Vexus was going to bring me to the cluster, but you stopped her. I wanted to do that for you."  
  
I cried even more. "You're brave, Tuck. So much braver than me."  
  
He smiled for the first time since I had left. "I just wanted to see you free again."  
  
"Tuck needs his rest now." The nurse said, "You can come see him later."  
  
Brad grabbed my shoulders and whispered to me, "C'mon, Jen. Let's go." Then Brad led me out of the room as I cried for Tuck.  
  
***  
  
It rained that night. I sat inside just looking out the window as the raindrops hit the ground. I trailed the few down that hit the window, until they fell with plop to the ground like all the others. I stared at the engravement of Raul-17 on my finger. Wishing I could just take it all back. The rain streamed from the gutters down the driveway and into the streets sewers. I remember the moment perfectly, because I cannot forget what happened after that.  
  
Raul flew down in a wet gray blur and landed in my driveway. I ran outside to see him.  
  
"Raul..." I just stared at him.  
  
"Jenny, I can't forget you." He said and embraced me into a kiss.  
  
I pulled back. "But what about the cluster?"  
  
He stared at me. "It tears me apart inside," He said, "because I tricked the girl I loved into joining my side, even though she did not want to."  
  
I looked back into his eyes. "But Vexus!" I said.  
  
"Forget her! Forget father! Forget them all!" He shouted loud enough for many people to hear, "I hate the cluster! I hate human enslavement! But I love you Jenny!"  
  
I knew for the first time, that this was a sincere man, and when he kissed me again, I never pulled away.  
  
***Prologue***  
  
Tuck came out of the hospital next week. He lost a kidney and his appendix, but he gained so much more. I don't think that any 12-year-old was ever underestimated after that. Brad found that out.  
  
What happened to Mom, Sheldon, Brit, Tiff, Jantrice, you can find that on your own. I am sure, reader, that you do not care about their futures anway. The real story lies behind my own life and what happened to me and Raul.  
  
We ended up moving away. We didn't live in Tremerton, nor did we live on the Cluster, but I assure you, that were we live now is perfect for the both of us. As we grew old, the house began to seem more empty, and our needs grew to other things. So we contacted Sheldon, and he agreed. A few months later, he had built us a daughter. Raising her has been a wonderful and charming experience. We decided it would only be fair to tell Vexus and PX5, so we did. They never replied to us.  
  
I heard, that after Raul left, Vexus got herself another grandson, and he wanders the planets still, searching for a princess. I don't think, though, that they will ever find themselves another prince like Raul.  
  
And so that is my, I mean, our story, of how Raul and I came to be together, with love and happiness, forever and ever and ever. 


End file.
